PERHAPS Cardiff City fans would have taken a point beforehand, but a dominant performance at Bloomfield Road yesterday really should have seen them return to South Wales with all three.

Ultimately, a goal early in the second-half from midfielder Don Cowie ensured they shared the spoils, but Kevin Phillips’ fine equaliser made this result seem like an opportunity wasted.

The passing and movement by Malky Mackay’s outfit on a rain-soaked pitch was outstanding at times.

When Blackpool had possession, Cardiff players hassled and harried their every step. Time and again home players had the ball taken from them as they looked to settle, something the visitors simply refused to allow them to do.

Few neutrals would dispute that Cardiff deserved to win this one, but they won’t have to wait long for the chance to make amends as they now turn to successive matches against Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Leicester City at home in the Carling Cup on Wednesday (7.45pm) and then a Championship crunch game next Sunday (1.15pm).

There are going to be new loan additions to this Cardiff squad – almost certainly from Premier League clubs – and probably within the next 10 days or so.

If Mackay manages to strengthen this squad with the players he brings in, then all really does bode well.

The Scot is a manager not afraid to change the team set-up according to the type of opposition Cardiff face and he did that to impressive effect yesterday.

Blackpool play with two holding midfield players in front of their defence, with four players encouraged to get forward.

Too often over the last few seasons under Dave Jones, City stuck rigidly to 4-4-2 no matter what they were up against.

Not any more though.

Filip Kiss and Aron Gunnarsson were called into a five-man midfield with Kenny Miller working hard in attacking alone, hoping for, and getting, plenty of support from the likes of Don Cowie and Craig Conway.

Both teams wore black armbands in memory of the four South Wales miners who died and, after a minute’s silence that was beautifully observed, Cardiff dominated the first-half and should have gone in ahead at the interval.

Mackay’s men created more than 10 decent chances, but only once was home ’keeper Matt Gilks called into serious action.

That followed a Gunnarsson long through ball headed on by captain Mark Hudson. Gilks went full length and just managed to push the effort away.

Whittingham was first to go for goal when he controlled a half-clearance and smashed a volley at goal which took a deflection and flew straight into the ’keeper’s midriff.

Gunnarsson fired over following a bright move down the right sparked by Kevin McNaughton, while Anthony Gerrard headed over from Conway’s cross following a corner.

Miller’s superbly-timed run and Whittingham’s accurate pass opened up Blackpool midway through the first-half. The former Rangers striker was through one-on-one with Gilks, running in from an angle, but fired wide of the target.

Blackpool’s best first-half chance was a Phillips header tipped over by David Marshall, while Gerrard really should have scored when he went up for a corner, found himself unmarked just outside the six-yard area, but headed over.

The home team finished on a high note when Keith Southern’s low shot was pushed away by a diving Marshall, but there was no doubt which team was in control.

And Mackay’s men got their reward within three minutes of the second-half starting.

Andrew Taylor and Conway were involved in a good build-up down the left and, when Whittingham crossed, Cowie lost his marker and headed home.

Home manager Ian Holloway had to do something to change the course of the game and he sent on three substitutes – Craig Cathcart, Matt Phillips and Stephen Crainey – to try and ease Cardiff’s grip. But, instead of Cardiff pressing on, it was veteran goal king Phillips who fired an equaliser out of the blue.

Cardiff defenders had the chance to close him down, but stood off the ex-England man and he smashed in a shot from 25 yards which flew over the outstretched arm of Marshall and dipped into the top left-hand corner.

The strike was top quality, but the Bluebirds should have closed Phillips down – and it was almost the first time in the match they had allowed a home player any time and space.

It was a cruel blow after they had dominated for so long.

Cardiff sent on French striker Rudy Gestede for the tiring Kenny Miller who had run himself into the ground and Joe Mason took over from Kiss. But it was to no avail.

The Bluebirds, though, are still unbeaten away this season and the lapse for Phillips’ goal was not of the kind which cost Cardiff late goals too often last season.

Man-of-the-match Gunnarsson almost snatched it with a shot cleared off the line by Baptiste in the dying seconds.